Clueless
by anime.in.my.heart
Summary: Natsu is clueless, and Lucy is losing hope. A sweet Nalu fanfic about realization and not giving up! *short chapters* *LucyxNatsu* *JuviaxGray* *LevyxGajeel* *PLEASE REVIEW*
1. Chapter 1

Lucy groaned at the faint sound in the distance. It made no sense to her. She rolled over to her other side, comfortable on her soft mattress. She tried to slip back into the deep sleep she had been forced out of. The sound came again, confusing her further. It sounded closer this time. She tried to ignore it. She was so tired. Again, she was disrupted, the sound forcing her to rub her sleepy eyes. They felt so heavy as she attempted to open them. The welcomed darkness of the night gave way to the brightness of the sunlight now shinning through her open windows. _Open?_ That wasn't right! She was sure she had closed the curtains the night before. She blinked away the brightness of the morning sun and opened her eyes to the familiar sight of her room. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. She froze. There was that sound yet again. This time she recognized it immediately.

"Natsu!" she moaned as she stared across her room at the grinning dragon-slayer.

"What are you doing in my room?" Lucy demanded, annoyed to see her pink-haired friend. He had a bad habit of doing this.

"Trying to wake you up," he responded as his grin grew bigger. Lucy pressed her lips together, trying to stay mad at him. _Curse that stupidly adorable grin of his!_

"I'm trying to sleep," she told him and flopped back down to get more rest. She was up way too late last night to be awake this early.

"But you can't!" Natsu protested as he pulled her bed cover off her. Lucy groaned, grabbing the edge of her cover to get it back. It was a pointless effort. Lucy was never stronger than Natsu.

"But today is a special day,' the dragon-slayer eagerly informed her. This caught her attention and she immediately stopped her tug-of-war with him. _But today is a special day._ His words rang loudly in her ears. She stared at Natsu with bewilderment. Did he really know what today was, and why would he call it special? She felt her heart pound loudly in her chest as she noticed the slight redness on his cheeks. _What is going on here? Is this really happening?_ Lucy's eyes widened.

"Special day," she whispered, unsure if she should get her hopes up again for the umpteenth time. Natsu nodded his head enthusiastically.

"A restaurant down the street is giving away free food today!" he exclaimed, eagerly jumping forward as he anticipated Lucy's burst of excitement. _Huh?_ Lucy blinked at him blankly. It took her a moment to register his words. _That's it! That's why today is special!_ The celestial mage sighed. _Of course! Why would today be any different?_ It was silly. Lucy shouldn't have hoped. But she had! She had thought that maybe, just maybe, today would actually be different. Because today was the day of love. Today was Valentine's day. But what did Natsu know about that kind of love? _Nothing! Absolutely nothing!_ Lucy sighed again and turned away from her beaming friend. She didn't want him to see her disappointed face. _Again!_

"Get Happy to go with you," she mumbled as she pulled her bed cover over her face. She just wanted to sleep this day away. She frowned at what was in the draw of her desk. Deep down she had really hoped that today would be different!

"He can't! He's out. Something about having to make today special for Carla," Natsu responded, frowning to himself.

"Whatever that means," he added and folded his arms. _What could be more important than free food?!_ Lucy cringed. She wanted to lash out at the clueless boy. It was pointless. It wasn't Natsu's fault he was so clueless when it came to love. _Actually, when it came to many things, but especially love._

"You have to go with me! I can't go without a partner!" he begged Lucy, pulling the cover off again and forcing her to look at him. Lucy's face instantly went red. He was so close. _Too close!_ She started to back away, but stopped when Natsu held out a piece of paper in front of her. It was a flyer for the new restaurant down the street.

"See! It says so here!" Natsu told the celestial mage and she read over the flyer he was urging her to read.

"Celebrate the day of love and bring your partner to our free, romantic carvery for two…" Lucy started to read. Her voice trailed off as she realized what Natsu hadn't. _He really has no clue!_

"Natsu this is for a…d-date…for, um…Valentine's day," she tried to explain to him, stumbling over her words as she felt her face go hotter. Natsu stared at her blankly for a long time. Lucy grew uneasy.

"What's that?" he eventually asked, and Lucy almost fell off her bed. _Nothing? Nothing at all?!_

"Go ask Gray, or Gajeel, or someone else," Lucy moaned at him, trying to push him to the door. He didn't quite get the hint to leave.

"But…" he tried to speak. Lucy wouldn't let him.

"I need more sleep! I was up all night," Lucy told Natsu sternly. He quickly turned to face her, catching her off guard.

"Why were you up all night?" he asked as a small gasp escaped Lucy's lips. She immediately stopped trying to force him out and resisted the urge to look at her desk. It hid her deepest secret. The home-made gift she had made for him. Last night she had every intention of giving it to him today. But after this morning, she wasn't as confident. He would never really understand what it meant. _What it is supposed to mean._ Lucy shook her head and snapped back to the situation she found herself in. Natsu was waiting for an explanation. She wasn't about to give him one.

"Just let me sleep!" Lucy snapped as she pushed the protesting Natsu out the door, forcing it closed so he wouldn't come back in. She slammed her body against the door and let out an exasperated sigh. She could hear Natsu stomping away on the other side of the door. He wasn't happy. _Neither was she!_ She glanced at her desk and frowned. Why did it have to be Natsu? Why couldn't it be someone who understood the matters of the heart? But it wasn't. It was Natsu. Lucy put her hand against her heart. _It is only ever Natsu._


	2. Chapter 2

"What!" Levy cried as a few people in the guild's hall glanced at her curiously. She ignored the familiar faces staring at her and lowered her voice.

"Natsu doesn't know what Valentine's day is," she spoke softly to her blonde friend sitting opposite her at one of the many tables. Lucy nodded.

"So, you didn't give him the gift?" Levy guessed and Lucy shook her head. She rested her chin in her hand and sighed.

"Maybe…I should just…give up," Lucy muttered, mostly to herself, but her petite blue-haired friend heard her loud and clear.

"No!" she quickly shouted, again earning glances from those at nearby tables.

"You can't give up on the one you love," Levy told her firmly. Lucy wasn't so convinced. No matter how many times she tried to tell Natsu how she felt, he never got it. "No one ever thought Laxus could fall in love, but now he is engaged to Mirajane. And what about Juvia and Gray? What would have happened if Juvia had just given up? They wouldn't be dating after all this time of Gray pushing her away. And let's not even get started on Gajeel and I. I mean, talk about the impossible, but we're now married with twins."

"Yes, but at least all those guys knew what love actually is. Natsu is clueless to it. Sometimes, I wish…" Lucy started, but paused and frowned. There was a lot she often wished for. _Especially when it comes to him._

"I just wish I could walk up to Natsu and say…" Lucy started to speak. She didn't get to finish. The sound of his voice silenced her.

"And say what?' Natsu asked from behind. Lucy's eyes widened. She hesitantly turned around to see Natsu and Gray staring back at her. She felt her face immediately go red as Natsu waited for a response. Lucy opened her mouth, but no words came out. _Say something!_ But she couldn't. He wasn't meant to be standing there and he definitely wasn't meant to hear what she was about to say. _That was a close call._ Suddenly Natsu's face lit up and Lucy watched him wearingly. _That expression often didn't lead to anything good._

"Have you decided to be my partner to the free food restaurant after all?" he asked enthusiastically, jumping forward and taking hold of her hands with excitement. He eagerly leant closer as he waited for Lucy's response. Levy watched her friend's face go even redder. _Poor Lucy!_ Gray stood back, shaking his head. Natsu had no idea what his actions were doing to the celestial mage. _Poor Lucy!_

"Don't get so close!" Lucy snapped at him and pushed him back. _He is so clueless!_ Natsu watched her, confused, as she rushed for the guild's hall doors.

"Honestly, Natsu," Levy sighed and ran after Lucy.

"Is that a no?" Natsu called after Lucy, but she was already out the large open doors. He blinked blankly.

"You knucklehead," Gray muttered as he knocked his fire-breathing friend over the head.

"What was that for?" Natsu demanded and glared at the ice-maker.

"Lucy can't go with you because…" Gray tried to explain, but Natsu cut him off. He had a new idea.

"Then you come with me!" Natsu excitedly suggested.

"No!" Gray quickly shouted, disturbing the conversations of those around them. He ignored the glares he got as he tried to calm down. _Natsu had no idea what he was implying. _

"That restaurant thing is for…" he tried to explain again. He was interrupted again!

"Partners," Natsu put in. Gray shook his head fiercely.

"No!" he shouted again. _Honestly! Just how dense was this fire mage!_

"It's for couples," Gray hurriedly told Natsu before he could be cut off. The dragon-slayer stared at him with his eyebrows pushed together. _Couples?_ Gray couldn't tell if he was in deep confusion or deep concentration. There was a long pause of silence before Natsu eventually spoke again.

"Couples are two people. So why can't you come with me?" he questioned. _Unbelievable!_ Gray stared back at him in disbelief. He slammed the palm of his hand against his forehead and shook his head. _Natsu was hopeless._ A soft giggle unexpectedly caught his attention and he watched Mirajane walk over from a nearby table she was clearing.

"Maybe I can help," she suggested. Gray shrugged and stepped back. He wasn't about to say no, but he had doubts. He glanced at Natsu's blank face and his doubts grew. _He is beyond clueless! _Mirajane moved to sit opposite where Natsu now sat at the table. Gray stepped closer to the table. He was interested to hear what Mirajane would say, but he was also very aware of the time. Juvia was expecting him soon.

"Natsu," Mirajane spoke, pausing to think carefully about her words.

"What if one day you couldn't have Lucy around anymore?" she unexpectedly asked. _Huh?_ Natsu stared at her as he slowly pressed his lips together. _That's an unusual question!_ Gray looked at her curiously. _Where is she going with this? _The sweet smile on her face gave nothing away.

"I will never let anything happen to Lucy!" Natsu shouted with a hard expression. The thought of what the s-class mage was suggesting appalled him. He had experienced something similar before. It was when he wasn't able to protect future Lucy. He would never let that happen again! Not to any of his family. His outburst didn't surprise Mirajane. She had been expecting it and she smiled to herself. Gray remained silent, impatient to get somewhere, but intrigued by Mirajane's question.

"Not because of death, but because of love," the s-class mage responded to a baffled Natsu. Gray held the same confused expression as the dragon-slayer. _Love?_

"You love Lucy, like you love all of us, because we're your family," Mirajane continued and Natsu nodded. His brain hurt from all the thinking she was forcing on him. All he wanted was free food from the restaurant.  
"But there's another kind of love that you're not always aware of," the white-haired mage told him and his eyebrows shot up. _Another kind of love? That makes no sense!_ Gray watched Natsu carefully and sighed. He still didn't get it. Mirajane quickly flashed the ice-mage a reassuring smile. She wasn't done yet.

"Take Gray for example," Mirajane said, pointing at Gray and Natsu looked at him. This caught the ice-maker off guard.

"Juvia loved him for a very long time. Not a family love, but a romantic love. She wanted to hold his hand, and kiss him, and be more than friends. She wants to one day marry him, and have a family together, to have children together," Mirajane explained and Gray felt his face threaten to go red. He tried to maintain his usual tsundere expression, but this situation had suddenly turned uncomfortable for him. And Natsu staring intensely at him did not help. _Children?_  
"And now Gray wants the same things," the s-class mage cheerfully added, wiping Gray's usual stubborn look from his face. Her statement surprised him. She wasn't wrong though. He was stubborn about it, but he did want those things. He always wanted Juvia in his life, but he didn't need the fire-breathing mage to tease him about it. Natsu didn't though. He just continued to stare at Gray, making him feel even more uncomfortable. Natsu didn't understand. He wasn't as clueless as they thought. He wasn't completely oblivious to that kind of love. It was all around him. Mirajane and Laxus. Lisanna and Mest. Wendy and Romeo. Erza and Jellal. Levy and Gajeel. Juvia and Gray. But they weren't couples. Not to Natsu. They were soulmates. _But what does this have to do with Lucy?_ Mirajane watched him carefully. She could tell he was in deep concentration. She knew he wasn't as clueless as people believed him to be. He just needed to be made aware.

"Lucy wants that too," Mirajane gently told Natsu, taking him by surprise. Gray was surprised too. _So that's where she's going with this!_

"One day Lucy will find her soulmate, and you won't be able to barge into her place whenever you want, or go on jobs with her at any time. She will belong to someone else, not like an object, but her heart will belong to him," the white-haired mage concluded. She paused before standing up. Natsu didn't notice. She didn't expect him to. Her words had his full attention, wrapping around him and slowly sinking in.

"And that's why Gray and Lucy can't go with you to the restaurant. It's not for partners or couples, it's for soulmates," she sweetly added. Those words hardly reached his ears. This didn't surprise Mirajane. His thoughts were far away from what was happening now. She smiled knowingly at the speechless Gray and he watched her walk away without another word spoken. _He was wrong. _Maybe she could reach Natsu. He glanced at Natsu staring intensely at nothing in particular.

Gray wondered what was going on in that brain of his. He wanted to find out, but he didn't want to break Natsu's deep train of thought. And time wasn't on his side. He was already running late. He wanted to see how this would unfold. _Mostly for Lucy's sake._ But Gray didn't want to keep Juvia waiting any longer. He had done enough of that to her! He took a hesitant step away from the dragon-slayer and turned to the open guild's doors. _Maybe Natsu wasn't completely clueless._


	3. Chapter 3

Natsu stared up at the blue sky. Rays of sunshine broke through between the gaps in the leaves of the tree he lay under near the guild, and a slight breeze gently brushed over him. _Her heart will belong to him._ Natsu frowned. Mirajane's words rang loudly in his head. He tried to ignore it. But the words wouldn't leave him alone. He didn't like it. And he didn't understand it either.

"That's an unusual look on your face," a familiar voice broke through his train of thought. Natsu looked to his side and saw Gajeel smiling smugly at him.

"You don't often have a look of concentration," he added, a hint of teasing in his voice. Natsu looked away from him and closed his eyes. He wasn't in the mood.

"Go away," Natsu muttered and he didn't see Gajeel take a defensive step forward.

"What you say?!" the iron dragon-slayer demanded. Natsu sighed and turned his whole body away from him. He wanted to be left alone.

"I'm not in the mood," the fire-breather mumbled and Gajeel stared at him blankly. _What?!_ Something was wrong! Natsu was never not in the mood for a brawl.

"Are you sick?" Gajeel asked and Natsu groaned. The dragon-slayer really didn't take the hint! Natsu sighed again. _Why don't people just leave when they are told to!_ Gajeel walked around him to look at his facial expression. He didn't look sick. But Gajeel could see the faint shade of red on Natsu's cheeks. The iron mage pressed his lips together. He knew that look all too well. It was one that only came because of a girl. He could remember clearly the amount of times Levy had brought that expression to his face. This was rare. Gajeel wasn't used to seeing it on Natsu's face. At least not when she wasn't around. _That's it!_ Natsu's behaviour made sense now. But Gajeel didn't know what to do. Natsu wanted to be alone and the iron dragon-slayer wasn't very good with these kind of things. He decided he should leave. _That didn't happen!_ He found himself sitting down next to the fire-breather. He had no idea what he was doing!

"So…Lucy…right?" Gajeel hesitantly asked. This was so out of character for him! Natsu looked at him, surprised. _Is it that obvious?_ Natsu narrowed his eyes. _Not to everyone._ He pushed that thought away. He wanted to ignore Gajeel and get away. He nodded instead.

"I knew it!" Gajeel cried triumphantly. He got something right in the department of feelings! _That was rare!_

"So what," Natsu mumbled and folded his arms stubbornly. He didn't need this right now. Gajeel stopped grinning and stared at him. He really wasn't himself.

"What about her?" Gajeel inquired. The unexpected question startled Natsu. He had every intention to not answer that. He found himself sitting up instead. He wanted to be left alone with his thoughts so he could think properly. But he also didn't want that. He didn't like his thoughts right now. Natsu groaned. His head was one big confused mess! He glanced at Gajeel. His fellow guild member was watching him, waiting for a response. Natsu cringed. He wasn't a fan of this particular subject. It made him uneasy. Maybe because he was realizing that he actually could be clueless about it.

"What made Levy marry you?" Natsu suddenly asked, catching Gajeel off guard. _Where did that come from?_ The question clearly made the iron mage uncomfortable and he avoided eye contact with the waiting Natsu. _Made?_ Gajeel grimaced. He didn't like the sound of that. It almost sounded like Levy was forced to love him.

"Nothing made her. We…um…love each other," Gajeel hesitantly responded. He wasn't a fan of this subject either. It wasn't that he was embarrassed of his feelings. He loved Levy with all his being. He wasn't ashamed of that. He would go to any length to prove that to her. But they were very private in their love. They weren't like Gray and Juvia. _Mostly Juvia._ As long as they knew that they loved each other, that's all that mattered to them. Natsu looked away from him. He wasn't too pleased with that answer.

"Yes, but you both didn't just wake up and decide that. Something…something must have happened for you to…" Natsu paused. What was the word he was looking for? _Realize!_

"…realize that," he concluded. That was what he was trying to get to. That's what didn't make sense to him. Gajeel scratched his chin. He was grateful that the fire mage was clueless to the slight blush on his face. He didn't like all these questions.

"I thought we were talking about Lucy," Gajeel quickly put in, anxious to change the subject. Natsu nodded.

"We are! That's why I'm asking," he retaliated. There was frustration in his voice that added to the confusion Gajeel sensed from his statement. _What does this have to do with Lucy?_

"Mirajane says Lucy's heart will belong to someone. I don't understand," Natsu blurted out. He was getting fired up. This time for a completely different reason than he had ever before.

"And you want her heart to belong to you," Gajeel guessed. He now understood, at least he thought he did. What Natsu said next, shocked him.

"No," Natsu said firmly, still with the same puzzled look as before. _No?!_ Gajeel glared at him. That was not the answer he was expecting! He felt his blood boil. How clueless was this guy! Anyone could see how madly in love Lucy was with him. _Anyone but him!_ It angered Gajeel. Mostly for Lucy's sake. Feelings weren't something played with or taken lightly. But the fire-brain in front of him didn't seem to get that. Gajeel opened his mouth to let Natsu have it. He didn't get the chance. The expression on Natsu's face silenced him. It had changed. He looked troubled. Natsu turned to him with his eyes lowered to the ground. He spoke so softly that Gajeel almost didn't hear his startling words.

"I thought it already did belong to me."


	4. Chapter 4

Juvia glanced up at the clock tower. He was late. But this didn't bother her. She didn't mind this kind of waiting. After all, she had waited years for him to just acknowledge her as more than just a comrade. Juvia smiled to herself. That seemed so long ago, but really it had only been a few months. A few months since he had returned from the 100-year quest and declared his undying love for her. Juvia giggled. Maybe she was over-exaggerating. It was more like he had mumbled something about the two of them hanging out sometime. But it was a start. Slowly he had let her call him boyfriend, and then hold his hands on occasions. It was small steps, but it made Juvia extremely happy. People had told her to give up. They said that he would never feel the same way. Juvia trembled at this thought. What would have happened if she had given up? _What would have not happened?_ Giving up was never an option for her. She knew in her heart, eventually, Gray would lover her back.

"Sorry!" a voice cried as Juvia was unexpectedly knocked off her feet. The water mage hit the hard ground of the city's street with a loud thud. Her head spun with confusion as familiar voices surrounded her. She looked across at the person who had run into her and gasped.

"Lucy?" she whispered, surprised.

"Juvia?" Lucy responded with the same expression her friend now held.

"Lucy!" another voice called out and Juvia saw Levy jog to a stop, panting heavily. The water mage looked from Lucy to Levy, her confusion growing. It wasn't there sudden appearance that baffled her. It was rather Levy's heavy breathing, and Lucy's tears that she didn't understand.

"You…are…fast," Levy said breathlessly before Juvia could comprehend what was happening.

"Sorry," Lucy muttered, forcing an apologetic smile on her face and quickly wiping her tears away. Levy frowned as Juvia watched the strange exchange with her eyebrows pushed together. Lucy put her hands against the ground to push herself up, but an unanticipated touch stopped her. She looked down at the hand on her arm and glanced curiously at Juvia staring at her.

"What is wrong?' Juvia asked with a gentle voice, catching Lucy off guard. Lucy bit her bottom lip. She didn't really feel like talking about what was bothering her and crying again. She wanted to continue running, but Juvia's tender gaze on her kept her attention. Juvia watched the celestial wizard carefully. She could tell Lucy wanted to run. Maybe she should let her. But Juvia wasn't clueless to the reason for Lucy's tears. The longer she looked into Lucy's eyes, the more she understood. She knew that expression all too well. She had shed plenty of her own tears for almost the same reason.

"Natsu," Juvia suddenly whispered, surprising Lucy and Levy. Lucy stared at her. _Is it that obvious?_ Levy watched the two fairy tail members. She wanted to comfort her friend. She didn't move though. Juvia was who Lucy needed right now. She knew about unrequited love better than anyone. She had endured it for years. _But! _Levy smiled to herself. Despite the odds being against her. Despite people telling her to move on repeatedly. Despite the ice-mage constantly rejecting her. She never gave up. And look where she was now. She had won in the end. Her persistence eventually paid off. Levy glanced at Juvia. _She can help Lucy. _

"You didn't get to give him the gift, did you?" Juvia guessed and Lucy hesitated before shaking her head. She hated admitting that! This didn't surprise Juvia. She supported her friend and wanted her to be happy. _Plus, one less love rival!_ But Natsu's clueless behaviour when it comes to love gave her little help. Juvia shook her head. That wasn't completely true. She quickly glanced at Lucy. They were both somewhat clueless about their feelings. She wasn't about to say that out loud though. That's not what Lucy needed to hear. Juvia could tell by looking into Lucy's eyes that she was losing hope. Lucy was on the verge of giving up. Juvia frowned. She wasn't going to let that happen.

"I wonder which is worse, having unrequited love because the guy is clueless about your feelings, or having unrequited love because the guy is aware of your feelings," Juvia said thoughtfully, glancing at her fellow fairy tail member knowingly. Lucy looked away. She knew where Juvia was going with this. But she wasn't in the mood. She had had these conversations with the water mage before. _Plenty of times!_ She didn't feel like having it again today. It was no use. Natsu was never going to get it.

"You're kind of being selfish," Juvia unexpectedly added, taking Lucy by surprise. It surprised Levy too! Lucy blinked at her blankly. _Selfish?_ That was a new part to the conversation.

"You want to give up…" Juvia continued to speak, catching Lucy off guard. How did the water mage know? Lucy kept wanting to give up to herself. Juvia smiled. She had Lucy's complete attention.

"…but that's selfish because you haven't given Natsu a fair chance," she concluded. Her words shocked Lucy. Levy raised her eyebrows. She hoped Juvia knew what she was doing! _A fair chance?_ Lucy stared at her in disbelief. That was uncalled for! She had given Natsu chance after chance.

"I have tried for years to tell him how I feel," the celestial wizard retaliated, defending herself. Levy pressed her lips together. She stepped back and forth, undecided whether she should intervene or not. A firm glance from Juvia stopped her. The blue-haired mage knew what she was doing. She turned her firm stare on the offended Lucy. It immediately softened, taking her friend by surprise.

"Lucy, have you really given it your all?" Juvia asked her. She opened her mouth to give the obvious answer, but hesitated. She thought she had. The question made her start to doubt herself. Had she really?  
"Have you walked up to Natsu, looked him in the eyes, and told him that you love him and that your heart belongs to him?" Juvia pushed further. Lucy watched her friend stare at her intensely, waiting, no, expecting an answer. She moved her eyes to the ground and bit her bottom lip again. She hadn't used those exact words. She didn't think it would matter.

"Natsu wouldn't get-" she tried to argue. Juvia wouldn't let her.

"That doesn't matter!" she cut in sharply. No more excuses! Lucy grimaced at the tone of her voice. Levy held back the urge to step in. Juvia was serious, and she wasn't going to let this go. Lucy didn't like that. But there was more to it. The truth was that she was scared. She didn't know if she could face the rejection. _Not from him!_ She loved him so much, and if he didn't love her back. Lucy quickly tried to wipe some tears away. She couldn't stand that thought. Another touch on her arm forced her to look up at Juvia. She was smiling tenderly at her.

"Juvia knows it's scary and it hurts. It cut deep into Juvia's heart every time Gray rejected Juvia. But Juvia's love for Gray always ran deeper than Juvia's fear or pain," the water mage spoke softly. Her words startled Lucy. Juvia had never given off the impression that the rejection hurt her. She always seemed lost in her Gray world. But that hadn't been the case. She never gave up though. Lucy touched her heart, the decision weighing heavily on her. Pain, or fear, or love?

"Is Natsu worth it?" the blue-haired fairy tail member question and Lucy gasped. _Is Natsu worth it?_ She hadn't thought about it like that before. It had always been about her feelings and what the outcome meant for her. Lucy's eyes widened. Juvia was right. She had been selfish! She looked at Juvia with tears in her eyes, not wiping them away this time, and nodded.

"Yes, yes he is," Lucy softly responded through the lump in her throat. She trembled at this thought. She knew what she had to do. It scared her terribly. But he was worth it. She kept reminding herself of that. She had to or she would give into the urge to run again. She suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around her, comforting her, and she smiled at Juvia. Her hug was reassuring. It reminded her of the situation Juvia had been in, and where she was now. _Maybe there is hope._ Levy quickly joined in the hug and the three girls kneeled on the ground, crying together. None of them were aware of a nearby onlooker, watching them from a little alleyway. He had arrived soon after their conversation had started. Juvia was expecting him, but he didn't want to interrupt. So, he waited. And he was glad he did. Lucy needed this. Lucy needed to hear what Juvia had to say. Some of her words had pained the ice-mage. Not because she had intended for the words to be nasty. But because of the truth of them. Gray frowned. He had caused Juvia a lot of pain. He didn't like that. He focused his attention on the smiling water-mage. He didn't admit this often enough to her, but that smile meant everything to him. He had promised to himself that Juvia would never cry because of him again. He wasn't the best at showing his affection or saying what he was feeling. It made him uncomfortable. But he loved Juvia. It took him longer to realize it than her. And he fought it at first. He eventually couldn't deny it though. Gray laughed to himself. Love was a funny thing. It was unusual, and unpredictable, and wonderful, and even sometimes, clueless. Gray laughed again and turned his attention to Lucy. _Clueless huh?_ Maybe there was hope for them yet.


	5. Chapter 5

_I thought it already did belong to me._ Those words echoed loudly inside the iron-mage's head. _Come again?_ They didn't quite make sense though. _Did he really just say that?_ The dragon-slayer was trying to comprehend what the fire-breather was implying. Slowly the realization sunk in and his eyes widened. _Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat!_ Gajeel stared at Natsu in disbelief. Did Natsu really mean that? Did he even know what he was meaning! This was a complete change. Natsu never expressed or spoke about feelings of love. He always seemed clueless about it. _Is that not the case? _Gajeel didn't know what to believe.

"So…you and Lucy…" Gajeel spoke, trying to gather his thoughts. His head was too confused to try make sense of anything. This was more thinking than he would like right now! Natsu looked up at him, unaware of his puzzlement, and nodded. That didn't help! It only baffled Gajeel more. What did that nod even mean? _This guy is so confusing!_ Gajeel wanted to shout out at him and call him names. That's what he usually would do. He took in a deep breath to calm his temper. He couldn't act that way. _It is different this time._ This involved feelings and people's hearts. Things Gajeel wasn't too comfortable with. But he cared about those involved. He was too stubborn to admit this though. But at least he could do this. He rubbed his head and focused his attention back on Natsu. _Let's give this another try._

"Then why aren't you spending this day of love with Lucy?" he questioned. He didn't know where he was going with any of this yet. He was just trying to understand. Natsu simply shrugged like the answer was meant to be obvious.

"We don't need a day of love. We have every day," he responded, again catching Gajeel off guard. _This guy is full of surprises._ Gajeel touched the tip of his chin thoughtfully. What was his next course of action? He sighed to himself. This seemed more troublesome than it needed to be. He shook this thought away. _Focus!_

"Does…does she know?" Gajeel asked. That was it! That was the question he needed all along. He felt a flicker of hope inside of him. That surprised him. He was really getting into this. That hope quickly died away when he saw the blank look on Natsu's face.

"Know what?" the fire-breather questioned. Gajeel groaned. His question didn't have the effect he was hoping for.

"Does she know that you think her heart…belongs to you?" Gajeel spoke. _Wow that is weird to say! _He was not enjoying this. He could just get up and walk away. Gajeel sighed. No he couldn't. He was stubborn, not a jerk. He forced his attention again on Natsu. The dragon-slayer had his eyebrows pushed together in deep thought. Different memories came rushing to mind. They were always together. They always had some form of contact. They always laughed together. And they always looked out for the other. That wasn't what Natsu was looking for though. He had a specific memory he was searching for. Slowly he saw it play out in his head. It was the day they had left for the 100-year quest. He thought he had made it obvious then.

"When we left for the 100-year quest, I told her that we would always be together," Natsu told Gajeel, remembering his exact words. He and Lucy had been having one of their usual moments with Lucy hugging him and thanking him. She thought he had just brushed off her words, but really, he was telling her how he felt. Hadn't he? _What is more reassuring than always being together? _Gajeel stared at him. _Unbelievable._ Maybe Natsu wasn't as clueless as people thought he was. _At least not in that way. _But definitely in another way. Gajeel shook his head and Natsu frowned. What did that shake mean?

"Lucy has no idea how you feel," the iron-mage told him. This shocked him. That couldn't be right! How could Lucy not know? They shared so many special moments, so many acts of love! Actions spoke louder than words! _Right?_

"You have to be straight forward. You have to tell her exactly how you feel, or she won't know for sure. I…I…" Gajeel hesitated. He didn't like sharing this. It was private. It was between him and Levy. But Natsu needed to hear it. He could tell the fire mage was still struggling to grasp the sudden realization staring at him in the face. Gajeel took in an unsteady breath. _This is so uncomfortable!_

"I didn't end up marrying Levy because I told her I wanted us to be together always. I looked her straight in the eyes and asked her if she will marry me because I want her to be my wife. It was straight forward, right to the point, and from the…the heart," Gajeel continued, forcing out the last few words that had seemed to stick in his throat. He could feel his face burning red. But Natsu didn't pay attention to this. He was processing what Gajeel said. A daunting truth was slowly sinking in. _She doesn't know!_ Natsu's eyes widened. _SHE DOESN'T KNOW!_ The words screamed loudly inside his head and he jumped to his feet. This unexpected action startled Gajeel. Natsu took a step forward. He had to make this right! He immediately stopped. He smelt her sweet scent before he heard her.

"Natsu!" her familiar voice circled around him. It was comforting and frightening all at the same time. He loved hearing her say his name. But now he knew a truth that he hadn't been aware of before. He had been clueless! Maybe she didn't feel the same way like he had believed. Natsu swallowed hard as he turned in the direction of her voice. Lucy stood nearby, resting her hands on her knees and breathing heavily. This confused Natsu. _Why is she out of breath?_

"Nat-su…my…," she tried to speak. The words wouldn't come out. It wasn't just because Lucy was gasping for air. She was terrified. Her legs shook beneath her. She had played out this situation in her head repeatedly as she searched for him around the city. But now he was here, in front of her, and the fear of rejection was taking over. _No!_ She needed to do this! _He is worth it._ She gripped her hands tightly. It was now or never! _This is going to change everything._ Natsu watched Lucy curiously. Usually he would walk up to her and tease her about something. He couldn't do that this time. It had to be different. It needed to come from the heart. He took in a deep breath. _This is going to change everything. _

"My heart belongs to you!" Lucy screamed, knowing she had to force the words out. She shut her eyes tightly, not wanting to see his reaction as her hands trembled at her side.

"I want your heart to belong to me!" Natsu screamed at the same time, wanting her to feel his words. _Wait! Huh?_ Lucy slowly opened her eyes. Natsu was staring at her wide-eyed. She held the same expression. Gajeel smiled to himself and slowly backed away from the situation. There was someone important waiting for him at home. Natsu and Lucy remained silent, just staring at each other. Neither of them had expected to hear what the other had said. They both wanted it, hoped for it, but it was actually happening. They didn't move. _What now?_ Neither of them had thought past this point. Lucy bit her bottom lip. They couldn't stay like this forever. Natsu gripped his fists. They couldn't just leave it at that. Lucy took a step forward. Natsu did too. They both immediately stopped. Lucy was confused, and Natsu was surprised. She had always thought he was oblivious to love. He had always thought she was aware of his love. _Clueless!_ They had both been so clueless! Suddenly Lucy and Natsu burst out laughing. The sound echoed loudly around them, and somewhere between them realizing they had both been wrong, and laughing, the gap between them grew smaller. They were now standing in front of each other. The laughter gradually faded away. They had stood this close together before. It was different this time though. They finally both understood. Years of unintended rejection, and not being aware vanished in this very moment. Natsu gently took Lucy's hands into his. His touch tickled her skin.

"I love you, Lucy," he told her, stepping closer. Lucy smiled tenderly as tears filled her eyes. They weren't sad tears this time.

"I love you, Natsu," she responded, closing the small space between them. Natsu bent his head down and Lucy closed her eyes. This was really happening. There was no more confusion. There was no more hurting. There was no more being clueless. They finally had what they both wanted. _Each other._


End file.
